Carrier
An occupational surname originally meaning a messenger or carter—someone who carried goods or messages.
The #2,692 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 23,080 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually explained as an occupational name from Middle English and Anglo-French words for a carrier, messenger, or carter. It is linked to French porteur/porter and ultimately Latin portare, meaning “to carry.” In older usage it could describe someone employed to transport goods or deliver messages.
History
19th-century surname writers noted Carrier as an occupational name and remarked that it was uncommon in England but found in the United States. The same name also appears in older records in Britain, showing that it was not exclusively American, even if it was relatively rare there. In modern times it survives chiefly in English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some early surname dictionaries gloss Carrier simply as “originally a messenger,” showing how closely transport and communication jobs could overlap in older society.
From the historical record
“trict of Ayrshire is so called. CARRIER. Originally a messenger. CARRINGTON. Places in cos. Chester and Lincoln. CARROLL. 1. Possibly from the ro- mantic rock so called in co. Sutherland. 2. A modification of Carolus, Charles. CARRUTHERS. A hamlet in the pa- rish of Middlebie, co. Dumfries.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom